Classroom Technology Guide – Fall 2020 Semester

Below you will find information and instructions related to getting key technology started to begin instruction. Note that a version of this guide is also physically located in each classroom. 

Want to learn about technology in a specific classroom? Please see the Classroom Resource Guide to view the technology in Registrar classrooms searchable by building and room number. 

Table of Contents

Starting the Audio-Visual (AV) System

1. Start the AV system using the “AV Presentation” link on the AV Control Panel. This will start the projector, lower the screen and enable the cameras and microphones in the classroom.
2. Mixed mode teaching that includes students in the classroom and students connecting remotely works best when using the configured PC in the classroom.
3. Login to the classroom computer with your NetID and NetID password (or use the guest account access). If you do not see anything on the monitor, make sure that the teaching station monitor is turned on using the power button.

Figure 1: Audio/Video control panel.

Activating the Web Conferencing Tool

1. Zoom or Blackboard Collaborate Ultra can be used to connect with remote students, to share content with all local and remote students, and to capture a recording of the class session for asynchronous access. The following instructions assume that you are using Zoom. For instructions using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra, see the following link in Answers – (include link here).
2. Open Google Chrome, the recommended web browser. Go to http://zoom.syr.edu and click the appropriate button to log into your SU Zoom account.
3. Click the “Sign In” button and enter your NetID and NetID password.
4. Start your meeting by clicking on the appropriate meeting Start Meeting link. If prompted, select the option to allow the page to open “zoom.us”.
5. In the Zoom application, select the option to join the meeting with Computer Audio.

Enabling the Audio and Video within Zoom

1. Select either the lapel or hand-held microphone (if available) that you will use to broadcast to the students in the classroom and the remote students connected via Zoom. It is critical that you use the microphone even if you are teaching in a small classroom so that the remote students are able to hear what is said. 
2. Power on the microphone using the On/Off button. Check the battery level indicator to make sure that you will not lose power during class. Replace the batteries with the ones supplied if necessary.
3. Click the chevron next to the Mute button to check the Audio settings. Make sure that the Microphone and Speaker options are both set to “AV Bridge.” To test the audio, select the “Test Speaker & Microphone” option and follow the on-screen prompts. Volume of the speakers and microphone can be controlled by the buttons on the AV Control Panel.
4. To broadcast audio to the remote students, click the unmute button if necessary.
5. To adjust the camera, use the “Camera Controls” on the AV Control Panel. Adjust the zoom, tilt and pan of either the front or rear camera using the appropriate buttons. You can also select from three camera preset locations for each camera. When the camera is adjusted correctly, close the Camera Control screen.
6. To enable the Camera for remote students, click the “Start Video” button.

Zoom Recording

1. To start the Zoom recording, click the “Record” button at the bottom of the Zoom Application. 
2. Select “Record to the Cloud” recording to record the class online. The recording icon will show up in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. 
3. You can pause or close the recording using this indicator or the record button at the bottom of the screen.  If prompted, click on the confirmation button to stop the recording.

Figure 2: Key Zoom buttons (1) Participants, (2) Share Screen, (3) Chat, (4) Record an (5) End.

Basic Zoom Controls

1. During your Zoom session, the list of remote participants can be accessed using the Participants link at the bottom of the Zoom Application. From this screen, you can see the students that are connected and control their microphone and video access. The mute all button will mute all student microphones. From this screen, you can also see students that have used the “Raise Hand” button or that have used the other reaction buttons. To close the participants panel, click the participants button again.
2. The chat screen can be accessed using the Chat link at the bottom of the Zoom Application. Chat messages can be sent and seen by all of the students using the link for Everyone in the To field. To send a private message, select the individual in the To field. To type your message, type in the area indicated by “Type message here…”. Messages that are marked Private, only display to you and not to all of the participants in the Zoom Chat session.
3. In order to check your chat messages and not display private messages to the students in the classroom, you can mute the projector first using the Video Mute button on the AV Control Panel.
4. To close the Chat window, click the Chat button again.

Zoom Screen Sharing

1. To share your desktop or an application via Zoom, select the “Share Screen” button at the bottom of the Zoom Application. Make sure that your screen sharing options are configured correctly before you start your meeting.
2. If you wish to share an application, it must be open before you click the Share screen button in Zoom.
3. Select the appropriate desktop or application screen to share the content with the local and remote students. 
4. When you are sharing, you will see the Screen Sharing control bar at the top of the screen and the screen or application that is being shared will be surrounded by a green border. You can control all of the Zoom functions from this control bar.
5. To stop sharing your screen, click the red Stop Share button.
6. While you are screen sharing, you can use the Alt button together with the Tab button to cycle between open applications.

Ending your Zoom Session and Shutting Down

1. To end your zoom session, stop the recording and click the End button at the bottom of the Zoom Application. Select either “Leave Meeting” or “End Meeting for All” to exit the meeting.
2. Close your browser window and power down the computer to log off.
3. To turn off the AV systems, select “System Off” link on the AV Control Panel.

Using the Document Camera (optional)

1. To use the document camera, make sure that you are logged in on the Classroom PC and connected to the Zoom session first.
2. Then select “Document Camera” on the AV Control Panel.
3. The document camera will replace the classroom camera channel in Zoom and will be broadcast to the remote students, to the projector and to the teaching station monitor.
4. To interface with the Zoom window, including the chat panel, you must use the AV Control Panel to toggle back to the classroom PC. You can return to the Document Camera using the Document Camera button on the AV Control Panel.
5. To turn off the document camera, use the buttons on the AV Control Panel or the Document Camera.
6. Return to the Classroom PC using the button on the AV Control Panel.

HDMI connected Laptop and Devices (optional)

1. You may use other devices, including a laptop, connected to the teaching station via the included HDMI cable. To select this device, use the HDMI button on the AV Control Panel.
2. If you select the HDMI option on the AV Control Panel, the classroom cameras and microphones will not function. You will need to use any built-in or external microphones and cameras connected to your HDMI device.
3. To share audio, video and any shared applications with remote students, you will need to log into Zoom on your HDMI device.

Getting Help

For support of the information above, contact the ITS Help Desk by calling at 315-443-2677, by emailing help@syr.edu, or by stopping into 1-227 CST.

More information about learning environments and classroom technology is available on the Learning Environments and Media Productions home page.